July 4, 2017...
North Korea successfully tests a 2-stage ICBM...
North Korea launches first successful intercontinental ballistic missile test
Published on Jul 4, 2017
... fun, eh? They also have a 3 stage ICBM, which they claim is also operational. It stands to reason, that it is. What we don't think they have yet, is a nuclear warhead small enough to load onto those ballistic missiles. Of course, we didn't think their ICBMs were operational yet, either. If they haven't perfected the warhead yet, they are damn close, they are likely to get there some time in 2018. That's why I think we are looking at a military response this fall.
The US and South Korea came up with a peculiar response to NK's ICBM...
South Korea, U.S. fire missiles into East Sea in response to North Korea's ICBM test
... those were precision guided ballistic missiles, which we do have warheads for, and everyone knows it. What we were saying was this, "This is what you guys need if you really want to attack our fleets" ... that's why we fired them into the Sea. Had we put warheads on those missiles and aimed them at a carrier group, it would have been goodbye carrier group; which is what North Korea has been threatening to do to our fleets in Korean waters... but it is highly unlikely that their surface to ship missiles can get the job done; those carry conventional munitions, not nukes. So our response seemed to be saying, we have what it takes to bring the battle at this time and you don't. (... which also implies, we are not going to wait for North Korea to achieve the smaller nuclear warheads which could be used against our fleets... notice the trajectory of the North Korean July 4th ICBM test; this would be exactly how that missile could be used to attack our carrier fleets).